


Knowing Why

by pairatime



Series: Post-Gravity [6]
Category: Defying Gravity (1997)
Genre: Forgiveness, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-30
Updated: 2015-07-30
Packaged: 2018-04-11 23:53:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4457303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pairatime/pseuds/pairatime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pete wasn’t ready, but live never cares.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Knowing Why

**Author's Note:**

> Smallfandomfest round 17: Defying Gravity (movie): Pete & Stewie: Stewie making amends for the attack on Pete as part of court ordered alcohol treatment.

“Hi, Kevin,” Pete greeted the bartender with a wave as he walked in, heading toward one of the side booths, dropping off his bookbag.

The bartender, Kevin, eyed Pete. Tracking his walk to the booth before flicking his gaze back toward the entryway, “Hey,” he said, looking back at Pete, “Don’t normally see you in here this early. I thought you and your guy were coming by later tonight.” Kevin asked. “and you look beat. Need some coffee?” 

Without waiting for an answer he poured some coffee into one of the house mugs before rounding the bar, walking toward Pete’s table where the younger man was slowly unpacking his backpack.

“Thank you,” Pete said smiling, taking a big swallow right away. “Trying to make up for the two and a half weeks of class work I missed while simultaneously trying to prep for five finals in a couple week doesn’t leave a lot of time for sleep, no matter what John says. How do people live without coffee,” he added, downing half the mug.

“Whoa there, slow down a bit. I don’t want to be sued when you drown in the mug,” Kevin said with a laugh, “Just how much have you had today? Did you sleep at all last night?”

Pete paused for a moment, thinking about it, frowning as he answered, “I’m not sure how much coffee I’ve had. Most of two pots at home and then some more at the house but that wasn’t just me so I wasn’t keeping track,” he said with a shrug.

“Keep it up and you won’t sleep,” Kevin joked, as he backtracked to the bar, refilling the mug and returning it.

“Thanks, you’re a lifesaver, or at least a grade saver,” Pete said, taking the mug back with a smile, drinking only a little this time before returning to his stacks of work.

Kevin smiled at the Pete again before glancing back toward the door, his expression dropping with concern. “Look, Pete, there is something I need you tell you. I was going to tell you and your guy tonight at the community meeting but…well…“ Kevin stopped, pausing for a moment, pressing his lips together.

Pete looked up confused at Kevin broken comment, “What?” he started to say, stopping when he heard the bell above the door chime followed by a voice he hadn’t expected to hear ever again.

“The dumpster area is all cleaned up Mr. Mancini.” The voice announced.

Pete’s eye’s went wide when he turned toward the door, see that the owner of the voice, Stewy, was making his way through the doorway carrying a couple of water buckets.

“What the fuck?” Pete exclaimed, his body suddenly frozen.

The buckets slipped from Stewy’s fingers the moment he spotted who Kevin was speaking with. They dropped to the ground, one tipping over, spilling its dirty and soapy gray water across the floor. 

“P-Pete-“ was all Stewy got out before he dashed back out the door, his hands pressed to his mouth.

Pete just stared at the now empty space, blinking and shaking his head, trying to push away the confusion before turning toward Kevin. Opening his mouth he closed it without saying anything, he had no idea what to say, he just looked at the bartender.

“His court ordered community service started early, today. That’s what I wanted to tell you,” Kevin explained apologetically.

The younger man drained his mug, thrusting it into Kevin’s hands before turning away from the bartender and back toward the door, “Give me five minutes then….give me five minutes,” Pete said as he carefully making his way through the water, walking toward the door, pausing at the sidewalk to take a breath, then following the retching sound coming from around the corner.

Stewy was a few feet down the alley, half bent over in the middle of dry heaving over a pile of vomit that had already emptied his stomach.

“I…I thought…” Pete stopped again. He had no idea what he’d though. When Griff told him that Stewy’s and Doogie’s stuff had been moved out of the house he stopped thinking of them. He’s never thought he’d have to see either of them again, ever. 

When he find out Stewy has doing his community service on the same street as the Daily Grind…“Why are you hear!” he yelled, “why couldn’t you just leave.”

Stewy swallowed hard, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, before answering, his voice halting and slow, “I’m sorry….we…I didn’t know.”

“So I’ve been told,” Pete replied, glaring at the freshmen, “So it would have been fine if it had been just some random guy and not a brother? Is that what you mean,” he threw back, balling his fist. “That bashing me would have been fine if I hadn’t been a brother. That if some other guy had been bashed no one should have had a problem with it, is that what you mean?” Pete yelled.

“No-no, that’s not-I didn’t mean-I was drunk,” Stewy said shaking his head quickly, “I didn’t know what I was doing, I barely even remember it. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, sorry, sorry,” Stewy repeated over and over, slumping against the dumpster, sliding to the ground, “I didn’t mean…I didn’t want to hurt anyone…”

“You did,” Pete said simply, his hand coming up to the bandage on his forehead covering the still healing gash he got when his forehead hit the asphalt. “You hurt me.”

Stewy said nothing for a long moment, staring at the ground as Pete stared at him. But finally he looked up, “I know…I didn’t mean to but…I did,” He said brokenly, “I did it.” He whispered before looking down again.

Pete watched Stewy, let out a sigh before walking closer, dropping to the street next to him. “Why, I just want to know why. Why do it at all,” he asked, shaking his head as he looked at his former Brother before looking away, staring into space.

“Doogie’s,” Stewy answered, looking up, “He and the other guy thought it would be cool and I was so drunk and so used to just doing what he said…I did it,” Stewy continued his confession, “I…I was the one that pushed you to the ground…”

“You-“ Pete said, looking sharply at the other man, “You were the one who ran up behind me…you hit the ground too,” he recalled. Hitting the ground with his heavy weight on him was the last things he remembered of that night.

“Yeah,” Stewy answered, rubbing an arm, “Pete, I’m so sorry. I should never have gone along with it. I should have said no. I should have said no to Doogie, or stopped-“ Stewy apologized again, stopping only when Pete placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You messed up but…I remember pledging, I remember what it was like int e weeks leading up to hell week…I remember doing stuff I didn’t want to but not in any condition to say no to,” Pete confessed himself. “You still messed up but…but maybe most of the blame should be on Doogie and Smithy, not you…I forgive you Stewart,” he finished softy.

Stewy swallowed hard, lungging over, wrapped his arms around Pete, mumbling into the other guy’s shoulder.

Pete just frowned, patting Stewy on the back a couple of times, “It’s okay Stewy…why don’t we go back inside. I need to study and you have your hours to get done,” he suggested as he extracted himself from Stewy’s hug. “And we should let Kevin know neither of us killed the other.” 

“Yeah, right. Two hours down, 498 to go,” Stewy said with a weak smile.

“It’s a start,” Pete told him.


End file.
